Year 9 end semester 2021

YEAR 9 ENGLISH Text for Section A, an extract from ‘The boy who drew the future’ by Rhian Ivory TEXT A Noah is a boy with an unusual ability – he draws pictures of what will happen in the future, and can’t stop himself from doing it. His family have just moved to a village called Sible Hedingham. *** Prologue* A twitching thing, it moves as if it were still alive. But it can’t be. The hand isn’t attached to anything. Sinews, veins and skin dried up, discoloured, dead on the page. Yet it moves as if no one has told it.

The boy draws it with his pen, line after line, unravelling the story that pulls him, down into dark water. A hand forces itself up to the surface in his drawing, beckoning him* or warning him, he can’t quite tell yet. And no matter how hard he tries not to, he keeps drawing it. Twitching and twisting, he draws, as the tide waits patiently, ready to turn. Chapter 1: Noah The barber* doesn’t try to engage me in awkward conversation as he cuts off my hair. I’m relieved he’s a whistler not a talker as I try to make a different face look back at me in the mirror. He brushes the hair off the back of my neck and I attempt a scowl, narrowing my brown eyes, but it looks wonky. As I get up, I look down at the floor covered in light brown and blond hair. A haircut feels a good place to start. Being the new boy again means I get to reinvent myself, I decide, as Mum buys me a new uniform at Fords’ department store. I try on more black trousers as she picks up a three-pack of white shirts, laughing with the saleswoman about my growth spurt. They talk as if I am not there. Mum keeps touching the back of my now naked neck as if she hasn’t seen it in years. She hands me a red and grey striped tie and two V-neck jumpers. They are itchy, not that I’ll be wearing them in this heat. I wonder why she’s buying them – it is so hot. We moved to Sible Hedingham three days ago. Unpacking all our stuff into the plain, empty, rented house only took a day or two, and now I’ve ticked the last two items off my list I’m out of things to do. I leave Mum paying for my clothes and go outside. I walk around looking for something to fill the weekend quiet with. Anything. I mentally list all the things this new place has as I pass them: a butcher’s, baker’s, a DIY shop, a grocer’s and a library next to a large primary school. It’s a new place but still has the same ‘Please drive carefully through our village’

signs. Another wilderness of normality, but this village has a feel about it. A prickling tingles in my fingers as I enter Broaks Woods. Something wants to be uncovered – I can smell it coming off the river. There is something lurking here, whistling under the cover of the shady ash trees, hidden for now. I sigh and shake it off. I don’t want there to be any room or time for these feelings. When we drive into the grey school car park on Monday morning, I wish I’d insisted on turning up on my own. I watch all the other students dragging themselves into school and realise that it’s going to take more than a new haircut. They all look like they fit, like they know where they are going. I, on the other hand, have no idea, despite the déjà vu* of Mum’s monologue: 15 ‘I’ve explained about Dad’s work and said that’s why we’ve moved again. There’s no need to go into details about why you left your last school, OK? This is another chance for you, Noah, a fresh start for all of us. Just try this time, sweetheart, please?’ She switches the engine off, unclips her seatbelt and reaches across to squeeze my arm. Her bangles clang and clank in the silence. I have nothing to say so she carries on in a bright singsong voice. ‘We’re staying put this time, aren’t we?’ She tries to make it sound like a statement or order, but it comes out more like a question. I nod and she sighs.

She tries to smile as she applies more lipstick, checking her reflection again in the mirror. I wish it were a real smile. I want to do more than just nod. She needs me to make her a promise, but I can’t tell her a lie. I’ve tried before but I’ve never been very good at it. Glossary prologue: an introduction to a story beckoning him: waving at him to come closer The barber: the hairdresser déjà vu: a feeling of familiarity / having heard something before Text B Sustainable living What is sustainable living? Sustainable living is a lifestyle that reduces an individual’s use of the Earth’s natural resources. For example, this might mean sharing car rides or choosing to do short, daily journeys on foot rather than by car. Why is sustainable living important? It is critical for human survival. Natural resources on Earth are limited, and they are being exploited every day for the production and transport of materials and manufactured objects. In developed countries, the desire to follow the latest trends means the life-span of items such as computers or phones is decreasing. Everybody needs to act more responsibly now: consume less, recycle more and repair broken objects so that enough resources are left on the planet to support future generations. Is it possible to do this forever? For a resource or material to be sustainable, it means that it can be produced forever. Bamboo

is considered a sustainable resource as it can be produced much faster than hardwood. As long as it is replanted at a rate equal to its consumption, bamboo can be produced forever. On the other hand, plastic – mass-produced since the early 1990s and extensively overused today in packaging and food containers, toys and non-renewable bags and bottles – is an example of an unsustainable material. Plastic takes millions of years to decompose and waste sites are overflowing with it. Can one person make a difference? Yes. Taking reusable cloth bags when shopping will help to reduce plastic bag consumption. Buying only locally-grown produce such as fruit and vegetables, means less fuel is consumed in transport. At home, switch off lights and electrical devices when they are not in use. Read the Text A, and answer questions 1–14. 1 What does thing (line 1) refer to? [1] 2 Look at the first paragraph of the prologue (lines 1–3). Give three literary features the writer uses to create atmosphere. [3] 3 The word surface (line 6) refers to the surface of two different things. What are the two things? [2] 4 The prologue (lines 1–8) warns the reader that something bad will happen. Give two pieces of evidence from the prologue that suggest this. [2] 5 Look at lines 9–13. Why is the boy glad that the barber is whistling? [1] 6 Look at this phrase: ‘... I’ve ticked the last two items off my list ...’ (Line 21) Which two items does the boy mean? Tick two choices.  having a new hair style

 arranging his things  growing taller  getting a school uniform  arriving at his new home [2] 7 What does the one-word sentence Anything. tell the reader about the boy’s attitude to Sible Hedingham? [1] 8 Give two short phrases from lines 27–31 that express the same idea as something ‘hidden for now’. [2] 9 Give two quotations from lines 32–45 that tell the reader that the mother is trying to appear happy. [2] 10 Look at this sentence: ‘Her bangles clang and clank in the silence.’ (Lines 39–40) Which two language features are used here? Tick two choices.  an oxymoron  personification  a simile  onomatopoeia  alliteration [2] 11 What promise does the mother want the boy to make? [1] 12 Give two quotations from the text that tell us that the mother shows the boy affection. Explain each quote in your own words. Quotation Explanation [2]

13 The prologue and chapter 1 are written from different viewpoints. Give the viewpoint in each. Viewpoint in prologue: Viewpoint in chapter 1: [2] Read Text B, and answer questions 14-17. 14 Explain how the layout and presentation of the text makes the information easy to read. Give two ways. [2] 15 Which of the features below show that Text B is more formal than Text A? Tick two correct choices.  the use of questions  complex vocabulary  passive verb forms  present tense  the use of adjectives [2] 16 Make a list of all the things the writer suggests people could do to live more sustainably. . . . . . . . . . . [3] 17. Summarizes how people can make their lifestyles more sustainable. Use up to 50 words.[2]

SECTION B: WRITING 18.Carlos is walking home along a tree-lined road. Darkness is already falling. Soon, the only light will come from street lamps. Apart from Carlos, the road is empty ... or so he thinks. Suddenly, he hears a strange, shrill voice coming from the darkness behind the trees. Continue the story. Do not copy out the paragraph above. You should consider:  what the voice says  how Carlos reacts  what happens to Carlos next. [25 marks]

19. Write an article for your school magazine about the advantages and disadvantages of spending

time in a remote area, such as a rainforest, mountains or an island, either alone or with other people. You could include some of the following ideas:  spending time without electrical devices  enjoyment of everyday necessities, such as clean water  survival skills, such as getting food. [25 marks]